


Ashes in the Wind

by alexcat



Series: After the World Ends [9]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Fix-It, Gen, M/M, Post-Avengers: Infinity War Part 1 (Movie)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-23
Updated: 2018-07-23
Packaged: 2019-06-15 01:29:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,104
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15401976
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/alexcat/pseuds/alexcat
Summary: All that's left is ashes... or is it?





	Ashes in the Wind

Part 9 

Wong meditated. 

This time instead of traveling to another plane of existence, someone visited him. 

“You must try to find Strange, Wong,” the Ancient One told him. “Use the book. It will tell you how. You must find the where and when. Strange can help. Find him.” 

And she was gone. 

After he was done with his meditation, he went back to the ancient book he had found. It had spells and incantations but it also mentioned another dimension, a dimension outside the normal multiverse, one that could only be reached by those who knew what it was they sought. 

Wong found this description infuriating and challenging. How exactly was he to know what he sought? The Ancient one had given him a hint. ‘ _Strange can help. Find him._ ’ 

So what did he know? Stephen had gone to Titan. He had turned to dust like half of the galaxy. He was presumably somewhere, in a hidden dimension, outside time and space. Stark had said that Strange had told him they had one chance in over fourteen million. Knowing Strange like he did, he had known exactly what that one chance was and whatever he did was to facilitate that one chance. 

But how to get to him? 

Perhaps a trip into the mirror dimension to play with space and pocket dimensions would give him some ideas. 

*

Shuri examined the bit of ‘ash’ that had been her brother. But it wasn’t him. It wasn’t anyone. She found no traces of a person in the ash. If fact, it seemed to be the same makeup as the ashes from burned leaves. So where had her brother gone then? People saw this ‘turning to dust’ so it really happened. Or did it? Was it some kind of illusion to fool them? 

Was the ash some kind of placeholder to mark where they had been?

She needed to talk to Banner and Stark. Maybe they could give her some insight. 

She decided to check the ash of several different people to make sure that they were the same. She headed out of the city and to the battlefield. 

Battlefields, no matter when the battle was fought, are filled with ghosts. They carry the sorrow and the fear in their soil. Like Lincoln had said, battlefields were consecrated and dedicated by those who fought there. 

As the queen of Wakanda walked the field alone, she felt the full volume of this sacrifice. There were broken weapons, blood, and hundreds of small piles of ash. She took some small amounts of the ash, each into its own small container and took them with her when she left the field. 

At the battlefield’s edge, she stopped and dropped to her knees, praying to her ancestors to give her the wisdom to rule her people wisely until her brother returned to take his rightful throne. 

*

Rocket found a container that was the exact size he wanted. It would hold about a quart of soil. He left the compound and went out into the forest, the forest where he’d seen Groot turn to dust and disappear. He scooped up enough dirt to fill his pot and carried it back to his room. He took the precious little splinter out of his pocket and planted it. 

If a Groot grew, it would not be exactly the same but a son of the splintered Groot. That was good enough for him. 

He sprinkled water on the soil carefully and turned on some music. He had gone on the internet and found many of the songs that Peter Quill had played constantly on the Milano. Now all he had to do was wait.

*

Tony and Steve were in the room they shared. Though they had been together since Tony came home, they had not talked of what transpired before, after Tony found out about Bucky killing his parents and that Steve had known. 

It was the elephant in the room. 

“Steve, how did you know about Bucky?”

“I knew that HYDRA did it. I eventually assumed that it was the Winter Soldier.”

“Why didn’t you tell me?” 

“I couldn’t. I – how was I supposed to do that? I loved him and I love you. I was sure that even if he remembered it, he didn’t understand what he’d done. He was a killing machine. Did it make anything better for you to know?”

“They were my parents, Steve. I had the right.” 

“Yes, you did but I couldn’t tell you. I – Bucky was the only person besides Peggy Carter and you who loved me and he saved my ass more than one time.” 

“I’ve never asked but did you and Bucky have what we do?” 

Steve stopped dead in his tracks and stared at Tony. “What we do?”

“Were you lovers?” 

Steve blinked as if he were trying to clear his vision. “Lovers? Geez, Tony. Peggy and I were never even lovers. I never thought of Buck like that. Still can’t. I love him like he’s my family, my brother.”

“And do you love me?” Tony was angry and scared. Angry still over Steve choosing not to tell him, choosing Bucky; scared that he would lose Steve. 

“Are you insane? Yes, god, yes. I – I thought I’d die when we were estranged. Ask Natasha.”

“I wanted to call you on that damned phone so many times. Would you have come?” Tony moved closer to Steve on the sofa, close enough to touch him, but not doing it. 

“I don’t know. I wanted you to call so many times.” Steve reached a hand out and touched the side of Tony’s face. “I didn’t know what to say. There were no words to fix any of it. I still can’t fix it. And I can’t fix this either.” He waved an arm meaning the world after Thanos. “I love you, Tony. No matter what else is said or done, I love you.” 

Tony looked down and when he looked back up, unshed tears glittered in his dark eyes. “I know.” 

“Can we just table it until we fix _this_ mess?” Steve asked him. 

“I can’t hate you. I have to forgive you. But you must know, I am not sure I can forgive Barnes when he comes back.” 

The words hurt – not because Tony couldn’t forgive Bucky but because they reminded Steve that Bucky had turned to ash before his eyes. 

Nevertheless, Steve nodded. “I understand that.” 

Tony moved closer still and kissed Steve’s cheek. “There were times that I thought my heart would break without you.” 

Steve pulled him close, holding him tightly. “Mine too.”


End file.
